ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
---|---|
Journal Entries | 10% |
Oral Presentations | 20% |
Class Participation | 20% |
Short Papers | 50% |
This subject serves as a broad introduction to the field of European and Latin American fiction. It is taught in an historical manner—beginning with the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes, and ending with contemporary European fiction. It is designed to help students acquire a general understanding of major fictional modes-from 18th century epistolary fiction, Liaisons dangereuses, to 20th century avant-garde fiction: Cosmicomicsi and Aura. Attention is paid not only to the literary movements these works represent, but also to the subtle interplay of history, geography, language and cultural norms that gave rise to specific literary forms. While the reading load is heavy, the books are compelling.
This course is designed for a variety of students. Some will be taking a literature course for the first time, others may have taken literature but may not have had experience with the kinds of approaches to texts that characterize this subject.
This subject is a "communication intensive" class. That means that in our work together, students will have the opportunity to refine their written and oral communication skills. Each student will write three 7-8 page papers in the course of the term. Students will submit drafts which will be corrected and discussed individually before the final paper is due. The assignments will be varied and designed to strengthen writing skills. Feedback on every draft will be given within the week in which papers are submitted so that students can use corrections in producing the final essays. Students will also participate in teaching groups which will afford the opportunity for oral presentations. These presentations will be critiqued by peers and by the instructor. Students will also submit journal entries on each reading. These journals are due in class the day of class discussion on that work. While they are not graded, failure to submit the journals on the appointed day will lower the grade.
The final grade in the course will be based on the following activities:
ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
---|---|
Journal Entries | 10% |
Oral Presentations | 20% |
Class Participation | 20% |
Short Papers | 50% |
SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
---|---|---|
1 | Introduction | |
2 | Lazarillo de Tormes | |
3 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Response due |
4 | Film: Cruel Intentions. Directed by Roger Kumble. | |
5 | Cruel Intentions and Les Liaisons Dangereuses Teaching Group on Cruel Intentions | |
6 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses (cont.) | |
7 | Film: Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Directed by Josée Dayan. | First version of first paper due |
8 | Notes From the Underground Teaching Group on Notes From the Underground | Write response paper |
9 | Notes From the Underground (cont.) | Response due Final version of first paper due 1 day after Ses #9 |
10 | Therese Raquin Teaching Group on Therese Raquin | Response due |
11 | Dom Casmurro | |
12 | Film: Doña Flor and her Two Husbands. Directed by Bruno Barreto. | Film response due 1 day after Ses #12 |
13 | Metamorphosis Teaching Group on Metamorphosis | Final version of secnd paper due 1 day after Ses #13 |
14 | The Back Room Teaching Group on The Back Room | |
15 | The Back Room (cont.) | Response due |
16 | Film: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. | Film response due 1 day after Ses #16 |
17 | Kiss of the Spider Woman Teaching Group on Kiss of the Spider Woman | |
18 | Film: The Cat Woman. Directed by Alfred Shaughnessy. | Film response due 2 days after Ses #18 |
19 | The Cat Woman and Kiss of the Spider Woman Teaching Group on the film and the roles of films in Kiss of the Spider Woman | |
20 | Kiss of the Spider Woman (cont.) | |
21 | Film: Kiss of the Spider Woman. Directed by Hector Babenco. | Response paper due 1 day after Ses #21 |
22 | Accident: A Day's News Teaching Group on Accident: A Day's News | Write response paper |
23 | Accident: A Day's News (cont.) | Response paper due |
24 | Cosmicomics Teaching Group on Cosmicomics | Write response paper |
25 | Cosmicomics (cont.) | Response paper due |
26 | Aura | Third paper due |